As part of that effort, Baldwin County native and Silverhill resident C.C. "Peco" Forsman will present a history and description of the Mobile Bay boats at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26, and 6 p.m. March 4 at the library. FAIRHOPE, Ala. -- The Fairhope Public Library has joined public libraries throughout Alabama in a statewide effort to read and discuss Mark Twain’s "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."

As part of that effort, Baldwin County native and Silverhill resident C.C. "Peco" Forsman will present a history and description of the Mobile Bay boats at 10 a.m. today and 6 p.m. March 4 at the library.

The bay boats carried passengers, cars and freight and varied in size. Some boats were propelled by paddlewheels, while others were driven by propellers.

Forsman’s presentation includes many historic photographs of the boats, which played a vital role in the development of the coastal communities in Baldwin County.

In addition to his research, Forsman is constructing 10 bay boats for the Fairhope Single Tax Corp.

The replica steamship Heroine, on loan from the corporation, is on display in the Colony Reading Room at the Fairhope library.

The Heroine was built in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1862 for John Fraser and Co. and was used as a blockade runner for the Confederacy.

The steamship’s last run as a blockade runner ended June 6, 1864. Sometime in the 1870s James Carney saw the Heroine and purchased it for passengers.

The program is in conjunction with the Big Read: Alabama Reads and is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.